Chinese Grand Prix Betting Tips & Preview – Sunday 15th April 2018

After another victory last weekend, Sebastian Vettel has taken up a dominant position at the top of the early F1 standings. Ferrari are certainly setting the pace in the early weeks of the 2018 campaign, but will that continue in this weekend’s trip to Shanghai? The third race of the new season rolls around this weekend, before the drivers return to Europe. Can Vettel come out of this one with maximum points once again?

While the German made a strong start last term, he didn’t manage to build up a huge advantage over Lewis Hamilton early on. The pair were quite close, and eventually the Mercedes man went off on his own. We seem destined for a real title fight this term, so Hamilton has his work cut out to keep up in this one. He needs to stop Vettel from building up too much of an advantage, but can he claim glory in China to post his first race win of the season? Given that this isn’t a happy hunting ground for Ferrari, they do come here at a disadvantage.

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Race Info

We're approaching the third race of the 2018 season already as the F1 circus rolls into Shanghai's International Circuit. Lewis Hamilton will be looking to get back to winning ways with Championship rival Sebastian Vettel taking the first two races for Ferrari. The high speed straights on this circuit should allow for plenty of overtaking opportunities in what should be an exciting race.

Round

Country

Circuit

Race Distance

3/21

China

Shanghai International Circuit

305km / 56 Laps

Schedule

Date

Start Time

Finish Time

Forecast Conditions

TV Coverage

Practice 1

Fri 13th March

03:00

04:30

Wet / 18°

-

Practice 2

Fri 13th April

07:00

08:30

Wet / 18°

-

Practice 3

Sat 14th April

04:00

05:30

Dry / 18°

-

Qualifying

Sat 14th April

07:00

08:00

Dry / 15°

Sky F1

Race

Sun 15th April

07:10

09:10

Dry / 13°

Sky F1

Previous Race Results (2017)

Lewis Hamilton came out on top in this race last season, and like 12 months ago he went into Shanghai without a victory and trailing Sebastian Vettel. The German finished up behind the Mercedes driver, while Max Verstappen came in quite some way behind the top two in third place. However, the Dutchman did do that after starting from 16th on the grid, which is impressive. The chasing pack will certainly be looking to close in on the big two this week, and they’ll need to up their game from their race here last year.

The Brit also managed to dominate qualifying last year, topping the pile in the final session. He’ll be out to repeat his strong display in this race, which saw him land the hat-trick of winning driver, pole position and fastest lap. Will Hamilton be that dominant once again this week, or will Ferrari show their pace and leave Mercedes in the dust?

Position

Driver

Car

Grid Position

Points

1

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

1

25

2

Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari

2

18

3

Max Verstappem

Red Bull

16

15

4

Daniel Ricciardo

Red Bull

5

12

5

Kimi Raikkonen

Ferrari

4

10

6

Valtteri Bottas

Mercedes

3

8

7

Carlos Sainz Jr.

Toro Rosso

11

6

8

Kevin Magnussen

Haas-Ferrari

12

4

9

Sergio Perez

Force India

8

2

10

Esteban Ocon

Force India

17

1

Race News: Outspoken Hamilton Raring to Go

Hamilton comes into this race in full knowledge of what he needs this weekend. He has told reporters that he can’t afford any more slip ups this weekend, having fallen 17 points behind at the top. There may be more races than almost every previous F1 season, but that doesn’t mean that the Mercedes man is taking points and victories for granted. However, his strong record at this track suggests that we could see the champion gain some ground as he bids to retain his title.

The champion also briefly talked about up and coming star Max Verstappen this weekend, saying that the Dutchman’s inexperience is costing him. Hamilton said that more experienced drivers would have secured points for Red Bull, although the 20-year-old has been showing signs of progression in his third season in F1.

Analysis: Hamilton to Returning to Winning Ways

While Vettel is coming off back to back victories, we think Hamilton will take maximum points this weekend. The German has set the pace early on, but this circuit hasn’t been kind to Ferrari or Vettel in recent years. The last 10 years have seen a single victory for Ferrari - back in 2013. Vettel won back in 2009 back in his Red Bull days, but he’s yet to win here with his current team.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s victory here last season was his fifth since 2008. That run has also benefitted Mercedes, who have won five of the last six races here. Hamilton pointed to his strong record at this Grand Prix in the build-up, so we’re backing the Brit to claim a victory in this one. He seems well priced at evens to take maximum points on Sunday.

Can Verstappen Prove Hamilton Wong?

After his comments about Verstappen in the press, Hamilton could well have fired up the young Dutchman. After all, he did make it into third here in an impressive finish 12 months ago. He is likely to make a push to prove the champion wrong in this one, and we believe that Verstappen is worth backing for a top three finish again.

Final Verdict

We expect Hamilton to return to winning ways this weekend, as he looks to get back in the title race. However, he will face a challenge from Vettel, while Verstappen should be able to make the podium spots this weekend.

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